When the 2011 conference of the National Association of Black Journalists concludes on Aug. 7, it will do so with a newly-elected president at the organization’s helm. But questions may remain about the influence of the New York Times on the election’s outcome, given the media heavyweight’s unprecedented endorsement of a presidential contender.
Every two years, NABJ members vote for a president and an executive board. For this year’s election, the organization has three candidates running for NABJ president, one of whom received a personal endorsement from New York Times Co. CEO Arthur O. Sulzberger Jr.
Gregory Lee Jr., current NABJ treasurer and senior assistant sports editor at The Boston Globe, a Times Co. property, received the special endorsement from Sulzberger earlier this month. “I am pleased to support Greg Lee for president of the National Association of Black Journalists,” wrote Sulzberger in his endorsement. “I am confident that Greg will provide the leadership and innovation NABJ needs to remain a vanguard institution in the new and ever-changing journalism age.”
Although Sulzberger does hold an NABJ membership, his endorsement emphasizes his position as Times Co. CEO rather than an NABJ member.
Some wonder about Sulzberger’s intentions and if his views line up with the NABJ vision. “It’s curious that an individual from the majority community has weighed in on the presidency of the National Black Association of Journalists,” said Charles Robinson III, also running for NABJ president.
Robinson, the Region II director for the organization and reporter at Maryland Public Television, added, “I’m not certain that the views of a chief executive of the New York Times are always compatible with those of the NABJ.”
Lee is not the only candidate to receive an endorsement from an employer for the election. Robinson, along with third candidate for NABJ president Deirdre M. Childress, also received personal endorsements from their employers. “NABJ needs a leader like you to chart its future. You are a person who has keen eye on what is possible and tangible,” wrote Last Larry D. Unger, president and CEO of Maryland Public Television, in his endorsement of Robinson. “… I would certainly urge the association’s members to select you as their next leader.”
Childress, NABJ vice president and print and entertainment/film/weekend editor for the Philadelphia Inquirer, has received personal support from numerous leaders at her newspaper and from her employer, Philadelphia Media Network. “I am extremely happy to have four years of support of my employer, Philadelphia Media Network, which has donated more than $20,000 in cash and services to the Philadelphia convention this year,” said Childress.
According to TheRoot.com, NABJ founder and past president DeWayne Wickham, speaking to no particular candidate, said such endorsements are “a cancer on our organization that eats away at a core value.”
Childress points out that while it is important to have the support of employers, it is equally important for candidates to be as independent as possible.
For Robinson and Childress, neither are focusing much on Sulzberger’s endorsement of Lee. They both realize that NABJ members will be the determining factor in the ongoing election. “I’m counting on our members to be smart and not be bossed around,” said Childress.
“NABJ members are very smart. They don’t just look at endorsements. They look at ideas and vision,” said Robinson. “One endorsement should not sway the day. Ideas sway the day.”
The NABJ, founded in 1975, is an organization made up of journalists, media professionals and students that provides services and training to and fights on behalf of Black journalists across the globe.
